Range-indicator for ordnance.



No. 839,274. PATENTED DEC. 25, 1906. A. T. DAWSON & J. HORNE.

RANGE INDICATOR FOR ORDNANGE.

APPLIOATION FILED 1mo.12,19o5.

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*llllll'll Hllllllllll II'ITI UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ARTHUR TREVOR DAWSON, OF WESTMINSTER, AND JAMES HORNE, OF BARROW-lN-FURNESS, ENGLAND, ASSIGNORS TO VICKERS SONS & MAXIM LIMITED, OF WESTMINSTER, ENGLAND.

RANGE-INDICATOR FOR ORDNANCE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 25. 1906.

Original application filed March 15, 1905, Serial No. 250,308. Divided and this application flied December 12, 1906. Serial No. 291.437;

To all'whom it may concern:-

Be it known that W6,ARTHUR TREVOR DAW- SON, lieutenant of the Royal Navy, director and superintendent of Ordnance Works, re-

siding at 32 Victoria street, Westminster, in

the county of London, and JAMES HORNE, engineer, residing at Vickers Sons & Maxim Limited Naval Construction Works, Barrowin-Furness, in the county of Lancaster, England, subjects of the King of Great Britain, have invented certain new and useful Improvements Relating to Range-Indicators for Ordnance, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus for indicating the variations of range or distance between a gun and its target in cases where either or both are subject to changes of position affecting such range or distance such apparatus being so constructed that it will automatically indicate to those in charge of a gun or guns in ships or other naval structures the necessary information relating to variations in the range or distance due to the relative movements of such-ships or structures and the targets. In ap aratus of this kind we have employed a gra uated dial and a pointer, either of which is actuated by clockwork or other mechanism capable of imparting thereto an automatic movement WlllOh will be constant at any particular speed to which the apparatus is set by the operator.- By observing the relative speed or change of position between the target and the gun the operator can ascertain what change of speed or direction of the pointer is necessary to keep the same in correspondence with the alterations in the range or distance of the gun from the target. The apparatus is adapted to be adjusted by. the operator to bring any lparticular graduation on the dial o posite t e pointer, and thereby initially set the apparatus'i. e. indicate in yards or otherwise the distance corresponding to the range at that instant of time. The speed or rate at which the range varies is then observed and the apparatus adjusted by the operator so as to work in'correspondence with such speed, this setting being effected by suitable mechanism controlled by a handle or the like and furnished with appropriate graduations or figures for 7 indicating the speed in knots per hour or' otherwise. Ap-

' through a pinion paratus of this kind forms the subject of another a plication for patent filed by us on the 15t 1 of March, 1905, Serial No. 250,308,

and the present invention relates to the graduated dial and its pointer; and it consists in the employment of two series of graduations, one series indicating increasing range and the other series indicating decreasing range, and of an angularly-displaceable shutter having near its periphery apertures which, according to the angular setting of said shutter, will expose one or other of the said series of graduations, so that the direction of travel of the ointer need not be reversed when the readings are to bechanged from increasing to decreasing range, and woe versa.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of an apparatus of the kind to which this invention applies provided with the double-graduated dial and its angularly dis laceable perforated shutter. Fig. 2 is a simi ar view with the dial removed in order to expose the internal mechanism.

A is the graduated dial; B, the pointer; C, the clock-movement, and D the casing inclosi the mechanism for setting the s eed at which the instrument works relativel y to thes eed at which the range is changing. The spee of movement of the pointer B is varied by the position of a friction-roller d relatively to a pair of conical rollers c 0 One of the conical rollers-viz., c is driven at a constant speed from the clock-movement C through the toothed pinion c and toothed wheels 0 the movement being transmitted from this conical roller 0 through the friction-roller d, to the other conical roller 0 The latter is connected by a train of toothed wheels 0 to the worm-spindle b and thence through the worm-wheel b to the pointer B. The friction-roller d rotates on a sleeve (1, formed on a frame or cross-head through which the traversing screw (1 asses and engages with a screw-nut of t c said crosshead, so as to traverse the latter without revolving the roller d, as was fully explained in our said prior specification. The said screwspindle (i is prolonged through the casing D and furnished with a handle for actuating it, the rota and traversing speed-indicating drum (1 eing o erated from saidspindle d teeth (1, spiral groove IOC d, and a stationary pin (1, as in the arrangement already described in our said prior specification.

The graduated dial A is provided with the shutter a, which is in the form of an angu' larly-displaeeable disk or ring having a series of apertures or perforations a? near its periphery, through which, in accordance with the position of the perforated disk or ring, one or other of the two series of graduations will be ex )osed, one series comprising the graduations ior increasing range and the other series comprising the graduations for the decreasing range. The said disk or ring has its axis of displacement coincident with that of the dial A, and it has a lug or handle a that lies between iixed stops a, which latter are so arranged as to limit the extent of the rings movement and insure its bringing its apertures into pro er register witlrthe graduations on the dia when moved into either of its extreme positions.

NVhatwe claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In a variable-range-indicating a, paratus, the combinationwith a normaly stationary dial bearing two series of range indications reading in opposite directions, an index or pointer movable around said dial, a clock-movement driving said index or pointer, and an adjustable device for translnittin motion from the -elock-movement to the index.- or pointer; of means for brin ing one or other of said series of range in 'cations into cooperative relationshi with the index or pointer substantiall as escribed.

2. In a variable-range-in 'cating a paratus, the combination with a normal y stationary dial bearing two'series of range indications reading in opposite directions, an index or pointer movable around said dial, a clock-movement driving said index or pointer, and an adjustable device for transmittin motion from the clock-movement to the index or pointer; of means for exposing seesaw either of said series of ran e indications and hiding the other series stibstantially as described.

13. In a variable-range-indicating a paratus, the combination with a normaliy stationary dial bearing two series of range indications reading in opposite directions, an in dex or pointer movable around said dial; a eloek-movement driving said index or pointer. and an adjustable device for trans mitting motion from the clock-movement to the index or pointer; of a perforated shutter angularly displaceable to a limited extent about the axis of the dial, for exposing either of said series of range indications and hiding the other series substantially as described.

4. In a variable-range-indicating a paratus, the combination with a normaly stationary dial bearing two series of range indications reading in opposite directions, an index or pointer movable around said' dial, a clock-movement driving said index or pointer and an adjustable-device for transmitting motion from the clock-movementv to the index or pointer; of a perforated rin angularly displaceable about the axis 0 the dial, means for shifting the shutter, and means for limiting its movement in order to render one or other of the series of range indications visible through its perforations substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands, in presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 23d and 25th days of November, 1905.

ARTHUR TREVOR DAWSON. JAMES HORNE.

Witnesses to the signature of Arthur Trevor Dawson:

HENRY KING, ALFRED PEAKS.

Witnesses to the signature of James Horne:

W. H. ATKINSON, HAROLD G. JAMES. 

